Experts Find a Door Ajar in an Internet Security Method Thought Safe

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Why am I still doing up?

A flaw has been discovered in one of the Internet’s key security methods, potentially forcing a wide swath of websites to make changes to protect the security of consumers.

The problem was first discovered by a team of Finnish security experts and researchers at Google last week and disclosed on Monday. By Tuesday afternoon, a number of large websites, including Yahoo, Facebook, Google, and Amazon Web Services, said they were fixing the problem or had already fixed it.

Researchers were still looking at the impact on consumers but warned it could be significant. Users’ most sensitive information — like passwords, stored files, bank details, even Social Security numbers — could be vulnerable because of the flaw.